50 Incredible Alphabet Activities for Preschoolers

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Click here to read 50 Incredible Alphabet Activities for Preschoolers on Hands On As We Grow

---

It’s almost time for back to school and these alphabet activities will come in handy!

As a preschooler, I don’t really think a lot is expected for them to know. Some basics are good though, like colors, shapes, numbers and letters.

To refresh your preschooler’s memory of letter recognition in general, as well as knowing the uppercase and lowercase alphabet and getting to know some of the letters sounds, I’ve been collecting ideas for activities that Henry can do to get him back on track of school. (Check some more out my ABC Learning & More Pinterest Board.)

Not to mention it’ll be great to get me back into school mode too!

Here are 50 alphabet activities preschoolers.

Recognizing Letters of the Alphabet

Identifying the letters if the alphabet can be a fun activity for preschoolers to learn while playing! 25 Alphabet activities to recognize the letters of the alphabet.

1. An ABC Mat is super handy to have on hand when your child is learning the alphabet! Try an active ABC mat learning game to get them really involved!
2. By singing the ABCs the child can find his way through an alphabet maze! Use vehicles or a ball, or even a doll to walk their way through the maze.
3. Squirt the Letter.
4. Make learning magical with magic letters that the kids reveal as they paint over them.
5. Do a letter search and find and match the pieces back together. (Little Hands, Big Work)
6. Make a sensory bag to find the letters.
7. Get creative and have her feed the monster letters as you call them out. (Little Family Fun)
8. Use sticker letters to match to letters that you write on a paper towel tube! (Activity Mom)
9. Make letters from pipe cleaners. (Make and Takes)
10. Have fun stacking letter tiles! The catch? Name the letter before you can add it to your tower! (Stay At Home Educator)
11. Try a magic trick like Playdough to Plato does with a ABC cup hunt game! Which one is the pom pom under?
12. Find the letter and trash it! A fun idea from Motherhood on a Dime.
13. Playing House does a bean bag toss into a letter tub that you call out.
14. A twist on musical chairs, play musical alphabet and identify the letter you stop on! Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas can make this more difficult for older kids too!
15. Fish for Letters from First Palette. Can you identify your ‘catch’?
16. Letter “I Spy” with Grown Up Board Games from A Heart for Home.
17. Make these simple ‘building blocks’ so your child can build a letter and then tell you what it is! (Simple Real Moms)
18. Write the alphabet on the sidewalk and water the ‘garden’. (Toddler Approved)
19. Magnetic letters matching from NutureStore http://ift.tt/2A2EUIx
20. Simply make it a race! Lay out some letter cards and shout out a letter, have your child run as fast as they can to find it and bring it back to you. (Frugal Fun 4 Boys)
21. A classic from my childhood. When in the car and traveling, do an alphabet hunt. (Teach Mama)
22. Let the children play on a typewriter, or old computer keyboard. (Let the Children Play)
23. NurtureStore reinforces alphabet identification by baking the alphabet.
24. Another use for the ABC Mat is to play twister! (Learners in Bloom)
25. Homemade letter sponges for the bath from Learning 4 Kids are a fun learning addition to bath time!

Additionally, these products are excellent to have on hand when learning letters.

These include my affiliate link that helps support hands on : as we grow at no additional cost to you if you purchase. Thank you.

• Alphabet Foam Puzzle Mat
• Foam Bath Letters & Numbers
• Large Wooden ABC 26-piece Puzzle
• Melissa & Doug Classic ABC Block Cart
• Alphabet Fun Flash Cards
• LeapFrog Fridge Phonics Magnetic Alphabet Set

Learning Uppercase & Lowercase Letters

Lowercase letters tend to be harder for preschoolers to identify as well as match up with their uppercase counterparts. 9 alphabet activities to help distinguish between upper and lower case letters.

1. Got on a letter hunt and match the found letters to a set of lowercase letters!
2. Match uppercase and lowercase hearts using a free printable.
3. Write lowercase letters on clothespins and have your child match and clip them onto an uppercase letter that’s printed (or written) out. (I Can Teach My Child)
4. Bring out the Easter Eggs. Label each side with corresponding upper and lowercase letters! Can your child put the eggs back together? (Teachers Pay Teachers)
5. Learn letters on the go with two paper plates, one with lowercase, one with uppercase letters. No Time for Flash Cards has the how to.
6. Make learning the ABCs a big event! Turn the floor into a mega doodle of letters and then match corresponding letters to it! (Filth Wizardry)
7. Match upper and lowercase letters on the sidewalk.
8. Practice writing while also learning both upper and lowercase letters by using a tray of salt. (Teach Preschool)
9. Play a game of alphabet bingo. (Teach Mama)

Letter Sound Activities

Many of the activities that are listed for recognizing the letters of the alphabet can also be adjusted for learning the sounds of the letters too! 16 alphabet activities to work on the sounds of the letters!

1. Go on a hunt for toys that start with the letters and then got to punch through for a prize in our letter sound punch game.
2. Make a game to sort by beginning letter sounds.
3. An active way for the kids to learn their letters is simply with a ball and shouting out words that start with a letter! The Pleasantest Thing gives us many variations of this game in her guest post!
4. Take learning outside with an sidewalk letter sound scavenger hunt like I Am Momma – Hear Me Roar.
5. Another version of this would be to spray the letter that makes the sound from Train Up a Child.
6. Indoors, set out some paper and letters on them and have the kids find as many toys as they can that start with each letter. (A Thoughtful Place)
7. Simple. Kids love to pretend to ‘work’. Give them tees and a hammer and pound the sound idea from Happy Brown House.
8. Add letters to muffin tins and toss a small object. Where it lands the child has to tell you what sound that letter makes. This idea’s found at ABC & Learning by Playdough to Plato.
9. Do a beginning letter sound toy wash!
10. Climb up the stairs when you get the right letter sound from A Mom with a Lesson Plan.
11. Make a collage from magazine cutouts for letter sounds. (Carrots are Orange)
12. Get active with a letter sound jumping game from The Imagination Tree.
13. A Run N Spell game from Having Fun At Home gets the kids moving and learning starting letter sounds.
14. “Baking” the Alphabet on a hot day from Not Just Cute. Hungry for a banana? Fill up the letter b-b-b-B!
15. Alphabet bowling with letter pins from Toddler Approved
16. Use letter pops (sticks with a letter on the end) to have the kids identify objects from around the room or house that start with the same letter. (Dr. Jean & Friends)
17. Match toys to letters with this hands-on sound activity from No Time For Flash Cards

Fantastic Books for the ABCs:

Supplement these learning activities with books and your preschooler will be singing, reciting, spelling and sounding out the ABCs in no time I bet!

These include my affiliate link that helps support Hands On As We Grow at no additional cost to you if you purchase. Thank you.

• Alphabet Book (Farmyard Tales Books Series)
• Alphabet Rescue
• Alphabet Mystery
• Dr. Seuss’s ABC: An Amazing Alphabet Book!
• I Spy Letters

I’d love to know. Henry learned his alphabet really early it seemed. Identifying a few letters when he was 20 months old and knowing almost the entire alphabet when he was just over 2 years old. George on the other hand has no interest yet at 22 months so it’s not on our radar.

Onto numbers! 40 number activities for preschoolers too!

When was your child able to identify some letters of the alphabet?

 

50 Incredible Alphabet Activities for Preschoolers

Hands On As We Grow http://ift.tt/2xuYwX1

Click here to read 50 Incredible Alphabet Activities for Preschoolers on Hands On As We Grow

---

It’s almost time for back to school and these alphabet activities will come in handy!

As a preschooler, I don’t really think a lot is expected for them to know. Some basics are good though, like colors, shapes, numbers and letters.

To refresh your preschooler’s memory of letter recognition in general, as well as knowing the uppercase and lowercase alphabet and getting to know some of the letters sounds, I’ve been collecting ideas for activities that Henry can do to get him back on track of school. (Check some more out my ABC Learning & More Pinterest Board.)

Not to mention it’ll be great to get me back into school mode too!

Here are 50 alphabet activities preschoolers.

Recognizing Letters of the Alphabet

Identifying the letters if the alphabet can be a fun activity for preschoolers to learn while playing! 25 Alphabet activities to recognize the letters of the alphabet.

1. An ABC Mat is super handy to have on hand when your child is learning the alphabet! Try an active ABC mat learning game to get them really involved!
2. By singing the ABCs the child can find his way through an alphabet maze! Use vehicles or a ball, or even a doll to walk their way through the maze.
3. Squirt the Letter.
4. Make learning magical with magic letters that the kids reveal as they paint over them.
5. Do a letter search and find and match the pieces back together. (Little Hands, Big Work)
6. Make a sensory bag to find the letters.
7. Get creative and have her feed the monster letters as you call them out. (Little Family Fun)
8. Use sticker letters to match to letters that you write on a paper towel tube! (Activity Mom)
9. Make letters from pipe cleaners. (Make and Takes)
10. Have fun stacking letter tiles! The catch? Name the letter before you can add it to your tower! (Stay At Home Educator)
11. Try a magic trick like Playdough to Plato does with a ABC cup hunt game! Which one is the pom pom under?
12. Find the letter and trash it! A fun idea from Motherhood on a Dime.
13. Playing House does a bean bag toss into a letter tub that you call out.
14. A twist on musical chairs, play musical alphabet and identify the letter you stop on! Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas can make this more difficult for older kids too!
15. Fish for Letters from First Palette. Can you identify your ‘catch’?
16. Letter “I Spy” with Grown Up Board Games from A Heart for Home.
17. Make these simple ‘building blocks’ so your child can build a letter and then tell you what it is! (Simple Real Moms)
18. Write the alphabet on the sidewalk and water the ‘garden’. (Toddler Approved)
19. Magnetic letters matching from NutureStore http://ift.tt/2A2EUIx
20. Simply make it a race! Lay out some letter cards and shout out a letter, have your child run as fast as they can to find it and bring it back to you. (Frugal Fun 4 Boys)
21. A classic from my childhood. When in the car and traveling, do an alphabet hunt. (Teach Mama)
22. Let the children play on a typewriter, or old computer keyboard. (Let the Children Play)
23. NurtureStore reinforces alphabet identification by baking the alphabet.
24. Another use for the ABC Mat is to play twister! (Learners in Bloom)
25. Homemade letter sponges for the bath from Learning 4 Kids are a fun learning addition to bath time!

Additionally, these products are excellent to have on hand when learning letters.

These include my affiliate link that helps support hands on : as we grow at no additional cost to you if you purchase. Thank you.

• Alphabet Foam Puzzle Mat
• Foam Bath Letters & Numbers
• Large Wooden ABC 26-piece Puzzle
• Melissa & Doug Classic ABC Block Cart
• Alphabet Fun Flash Cards
• LeapFrog Fridge Phonics Magnetic Alphabet Set

Learning Uppercase & Lowercase Letters

Lowercase letters tend to be harder for preschoolers to identify as well as match up with their uppercase counterparts. 9 alphabet activities to help distinguish between upper and lower case letters.

1. Got on a letter hunt and match the found letters to a set of lowercase letters!
2. Match uppercase and lowercase hearts using a free printable.
3. Write lowercase letters on clothespins and have your child match and clip them onto an uppercase letter that’s printed (or written) out. (I Can Teach My Child)
4. Bring out the Easter Eggs. Label each side with corresponding upper and lowercase letters! Can your child put the eggs back together? (Teachers Pay Teachers)
5. Learn letters on the go with two paper plates, one with lowercase, one with uppercase letters. No Time for Flash Cards has the how to.
6. Make learning the ABCs a big event! Turn the floor into a mega doodle of letters and then match corresponding letters to it! (Filth Wizardry)
7. Match upper and lowercase letters on the sidewalk.
8. Practice writing while also learning both upper and lowercase letters by using a tray of salt. (Teach Preschool)
9. Play a game of alphabet bingo. (Teach Mama)

Letter Sound Activities

Many of the activities that are listed for recognizing the letters of the alphabet can also be adjusted for learning the sounds of the letters too! 16 alphabet activities to work on the sounds of the letters!

1. Go on a hunt for toys that start with the letters and then got to punch through for a prize in our letter sound punch game.
2. Make a game to sort by beginning letter sounds.
3. An active way for the kids to learn their letters is simply with a ball and shouting out words that start with a letter! The Pleasantest Thing gives us many variations of this game in her guest post!
4. Take learning outside with an sidewalk letter sound scavenger hunt like I Am Momma – Hear Me Roar.
5. Another version of this would be to spray the letter that makes the sound from Train Up a Child.
6. Indoors, set out some paper and letters on them and have the kids find as many toys as they can that start with each letter. (A Thoughtful Place)
7. Simple. Kids love to pretend to ‘work’. Give them tees and a hammer and pound the sound idea from Happy Brown House.
8. Add letters to muffin tins and toss a small object. Where it lands the child has to tell you what sound that letter makes. This idea’s found at ABC & Learning by Playdough to Plato.
9. Do a beginning letter sound toy wash!
10. Climb up the stairs when you get the right letter sound from A Mom with a Lesson Plan.
11. Make a collage from magazine cutouts for letter sounds. (Carrots are Orange)
12. Get active with a letter sound jumping game from The Imagination Tree.
13. A Run N Spell game from Having Fun At Home gets the kids moving and learning starting letter sounds.
14. “Baking” the Alphabet on a hot day from Not Just Cute. Hungry for a banana? Fill up the letter b-b-b-B!
15. Alphabet bowling with letter pins from Toddler Approved
16. Use letter pops (sticks with a letter on the end) to have the kids identify objects from around the room or house that start with the same letter. (Dr. Jean & Friends)
17. Match toys to letters with this hands-on sound activity from No Time For Flash Cards

Fantastic Books for the ABCs:

Supplement these learning activities with books and your preschooler will be singing, reciting, spelling and sounding out the ABCs in no time I bet!

These include my affiliate link that helps support Hands On As We Grow at no additional cost to you if you purchase. Thank you.

• Alphabet Book (Farmyard Tales Books Series)
• Alphabet Rescue
• Alphabet Mystery
• Dr. Seuss’s ABC: An Amazing Alphabet Book!
• I Spy Letters

I’d love to know. Henry learned his alphabet really early it seemed. Identifying a few letters when he was 20 months old and knowing almost the entire alphabet when he was just over 2 years old. George on the other hand has no interest yet at 22 months so it’s not on our radar.

Onto numbers! 40 number activities for preschoolers too!

When was your child able to identify some letters of the alphabet?

 

DIY Sick Kit

Build a Balance Scale for Preschoolers to Explore Weights

Hands On As We Grow http://ift.tt/2zCe7Sx

Click here to read Build a Balance Scale for Preschoolers to Explore Weights on Hands On As We Grow

---

Today’s activity is so simple to setup, but can spark a ton of learning about science!

This easy hanger balance activity comes from Michelle, a member of our Activity Room activity planning service.

The Activity Room is my way of providing you with something easy to do with your toddler or preschooler, week after week.

I plan out the months and weeks so that you get a variety of activities from gross motor to sensory to craft and art projects. Some are a little more advanced, while others are super easy. And I provide tips to make it easier or harder too based on your child’s development.

But here’s the important part – you have to find a system that works for your family! And Michelle shows us how she does it.

Enter Michelle: she is a rock-star member of The Activity Room, and she recently shared her system for making it work for her and her family.

I print out the plans and keep a binder of activities. I try to put a check mark on the ones we do and write notes to myself on what worked/didn’t work for days I am looking for a few extra activities. That way I can go back to ones we missed or favorite activities. 

Now that the school year has started and I am back to teaching, the phone calendar is my method. I can quickly look at what I need and what the activity is. Also The Activity Room Members Only Facebook Group is super fantastic to see what others are doing.

As a working mom, I love having activities pre-planned but have given myself grace that some days we won’t do an activity while other days we will do several. ~Michelle

Let’s meet Michelle!

How many kids do you have and how old are they?

One son who turned 4 in October

How long have you been in The Activity Room?

Started at the end of May

What is your favorite activity you’ve done in The Activity Room?

Spy Hunt

What’s your favorite thing to do with your kids when you get a few moments?

Science activities! I love seeing how my son problem solves, makes predictions, and gets excited. Poor kid has a science teacher as a Mom :)

What’s your best tip for doing activities with your kids?

Go with the flow! Sometimes the activity doesn’t go exactly like I thought it would and it is okay!

Share your favorite quote:

“Time spent playing with children is never wasted.” Dawn Lantero

Please tell about the activity you’d like share.

Build your own balance!

How to build a simple balance scale out from a hanger

Materials: plastic hanger, two paper or plastic cups, string/yarn, hole punch.

At the top of each cup punch two holes on opposite sides and string yarn through.

Hang the cups on the hangar and place different items in the cup to see which one is heavier.

There are a lot of variations online to expand on the learning. You can compare objects by size, or quantity.

Or you can ask questions like, “how many Legos does this toy car weigh?”, finding how many Legos it takes to balance a scale with a toy on the other end.

This has so much opportunity for learning number comparisons, counting, and thinking skills.

Michelle’s attitude of “Go with the flow!” is spot on, and this activity is no exception.

Follow your child’s lead, and you might find it’s something you can come back to again and again.

Start getting your daily activities sent to you. Join the Activity Room today!

Build a Balance Scale for Preschoolers to Explore Weights

Hands On As We Grow http://ift.tt/2zCe7Sx

Click here to read Build a Balance Scale for Preschoolers to Explore Weights on Hands On As We Grow

---

Today’s activity is so simple to setup, but can spark a ton of learning about science!

This easy hanger balance activity comes from Michelle, a member of our Activity Room activity planning service.

The Activity Room is my way of providing you with something easy to do with your toddler or preschooler, week after week.

I plan out the months and weeks so that you get a variety of activities from gross motor to sensory to craft and art projects. Some are a little more advanced, while others are super easy. And I provide tips to make it easier or harder too based on your child’s development.

But here’s the important part – you have to find a system that works for your family! And Michelle shows us how she does it.

Enter Michelle: she is a rock-star member of The Activity Room, and she recently shared her system for making it work for her and her family.

I print out the plans and keep a binder of activities. I try to put a check mark on the ones we do and write notes to myself on what worked/didn’t work for days I am looking for a few extra activities. That way I can go back to ones we missed or favorite activities. 

Now that the school year has started and I am back to teaching, the phone calendar is my method. I can quickly look at what I need and what the activity is. Also The Activity Room Members Only Facebook Group is super fantastic to see what others are doing.

As a working mom, I love having activities pre-planned but have given myself grace that some days we won’t do an activity while other days we will do several. ~Michelle

Let’s meet Michelle!

How many kids do you have and how old are they?

One son who turned 4 in October

How long have you been in The Activity Room?

Started at the end of May

What is your favorite activity you’ve done in The Activity Room?

Spy Hunt

What’s your favorite thing to do with your kids when you get a few moments?

Science activities! I love seeing how my son problem solves, makes predictions, and gets excited. Poor kid has a science teacher as a Mom :)

What’s your best tip for doing activities with your kids?

Go with the flow! Sometimes the activity doesn’t go exactly like I thought it would and it is okay!

Share your favorite quote:

“Time spent playing with children is never wasted.” Dawn Lantero

Please tell about the activity you’d like share.

Build your own balance!

How to build a simple balance scale out from a hanger

Materials: plastic hanger, two paper or plastic cups, string/yarn, hole punch.

At the top of each cup punch two holes on opposite sides and string yarn through.

Hang the cups on the hangar and place different items in the cup to see which one is heavier.

There are a lot of variations online to expand on the learning. You can compare objects by size, or quantity.

Or you can ask questions like, “how many Legos does this toy car weigh?”, finding how many Legos it takes to balance a scale with a toy on the other end.

This has so much opportunity for learning number comparisons, counting, and thinking skills.

Michelle’s attitude of “Go with the flow!” is spot on, and this activity is no exception.

Follow your child’s lead, and you might find it’s something you can come back to again and again.

Start getting your daily activities sent to you. Join the Activity Room today!

What Can My Older Kids Do When I’m Busy With Baby?

Hands On As We Grow http://ift.tt/2i22H3k

Click here to read What Can My Older Kids Do When I’m Busy With Baby? on Hands On As We Grow

---

You love being a hands-on mom and your kids love doing activities with you. But now you have introduced a new baby into the mix and you’re feeling lost as to what your older kiddos can do, while you are with baby. Sound familiar?

The first thing to do is to cut yourself some slack and throw that mom guilt out the window. There is no greater critic than ourselves, but just remember you’re doing a great job and your kids know how much you love them.

These seven activity ideas will hopefully help to make the transition easier and to help your special time with the baby be a special time for your older kids as well.

You’ll notice that each activity idea has a catchy name, as I have found that it helps to pique my kids’ interest in the activity and helps them to remember it as well.

Each activity is stored in a special container to help with organization, instruction, and scheduling. You can choose to use these activities whenever needed or have them on a rotation schedule for set times of the day or for specific days of the week (i.e. Monday is Building Bin day).

Please don’t feel pressured to use all of these activities, but use what you feel best suits your kids and which best suit you.

1. Ripping Bucket:

Simply grab a bucket, put in various pieces of paper (newspaper, construction paper, magazines, tissue paper, junk mail, etc…), and let your kids enjoy the fun of ripping, tearing, and shredding.

This is a great sensory activity and it’s just flat out fun! You could even turn that torn paper into a craft as well.

If you don’t want to keep or re-use the shredded paper, you can create a clean-up game to minimize the mess left behind. For example, the ripped paper can be crumbled into balls and tossed into the trashcan; similar to the newspaper toss activity.

Find more tips on dealing with toddler jealousy.

2. Book Box:

Create a special box with special books that are only taken out during your time with baby or feeding time. Here are some great recommendations for hands-on books.

You could even turn up the awesomeness of this activity and make it into a books-in-a-box reading adventure.

If possible, work in a read-aloud at the same time or expand this activity to include audio books as well. Here is a list of 15 awesome audio books for various ages.

3. Building Bin:

This would be a special bin filled with various blocks and building items (Legos, ABC blocks, wooden blocks, etc…).

Building is such a great hands-on activity for kids and it helps develop their imagination and concentration while keeping their hands busy.

They could build a tower, practice spelling their name, or make a crazy castle. Here are 44 block activities you could incorporate into your kiddos’ building bin.

4. Activity Tub:

Fill this tub will special quiet time activities, games, and toys. The tub could be themed (i.e. transportation, alphabet, art, etc…) or just contain some of your kids’ favorite items.

Here are some activities and toys I find very useful for free play: (some of these links are affiliate links that will help support Hands On As We Grow at no additional charge to you)

• dolls
• cars
• take-a-part toys
• stuffed animals
• Color Wonder drawing paper
• coloring book with crayons
• a flashlight with binoculars for exploring
• tracing pages in a sheet protector
• independent games like the Simon Electronic Memory Game
• an old camera or cell phone for pretend play
• a kids toolbox
• a deck of cards
• learn-to-draw book

5. Puzzle Pail:

Find a pail (or any container, really) and place various puzzles inside.

The difficulty and type of puzzles will vary depending on the age and puzzle skill level of your kids, but this self-guided puzzle trick can make any board tray puzzle an independent, learning activity.

Here’s an organization tip: I like to keep the puzzle pieces inside baggies instead of in the actual puzzle board to prevent them from falling out. I also instruct my kids to work on one puzzle at a time and clean-up that puzzle before moving on to the next.

To add in even more of a twist, you could incorporate a puzzle scavenger hunt as well.

6. Busy B’s Basket:

The Busy B’s are: busy Boxes, busy Bags, or busy Boards. The idea is to give your kiddos time to learn, play, and have fun being busy, while you are being busy yourself.

Prepare a Busy B as a busy box which provides pre-made activity tasks to complete, or a busy bag that contains learning activities like letter matching or sensory skills.

Or make a busy board that provides great fine motor practice and entertainment.

You could choose to just make one of these Busy B’s or make a few of each to put in a Busy B Basket.

I recommend choosing to prepare Busy B’s that have only a few components or are self-contained to help with clean-up and keeping track of the pieces.

7. Technology Tool-kit:

Kids need exposure to technology if only to learn how to use it responsibly in their world when required. Teaching our kids how to properly use and learn from technology is a great activity for them to take part in.

This technology tool-kit could contain an iPad with fun learning apps, a pretend remote to the television (that symbolizes that it’s showtime!) for some educational shows like Story Bots or Little Einsteins, and some fun learning DVD’s. It could even contain a small computer or learning tablet like the LeapFrog products.

That’s it!

It seems like a lot (especially when you’re parenting a newborn!), but with a session or two of gathering supplies, you can add little peace to your home.

Each of these catchy-phrased, container activity ideas will hopefully help to relieve the stress that comes with a new baby (even if it is stress for a joyful reason).

Most importantly, you’ll be able to give your older kids the hands-on activities that will keep them learning and having fun… even with a new baby in the house.

Which activity idea do you think will best keep your older kids occupied?

What Can My Older Kids Do When I’m Busy With Baby?

Hands On As We Grow http://ift.tt/2i22H3k

Click here to read What Can My Older Kids Do When I’m Busy With Baby? on Hands On As We Grow

---

You love being a hands-on mom and your kids love doing activities with you. But now you have introduced a new baby into the mix and you’re feeling lost as to what your older kiddos can do, while you are with baby. Sound familiar?

The first thing to do is to cut yourself some slack and throw that mom guilt out the window. There is no greater critic than ourselves, but just remember you’re doing a great job and your kids know how much you love them.

These seven activity ideas will hopefully help to make the transition easier and to help your special time with the baby be a special time for your older kids as well.

You’ll notice that each activity idea has a catchy name, as I have found that it helps to pique my kids’ interest in the activity and helps them to remember it as well.

Each activity is stored in a special container to help with organization, instruction, and scheduling. You can choose to use these activities whenever needed or have them on a rotation schedule for set times of the day or for specific days of the week (i.e. Monday is Building Bin day).

Please don’t feel pressured to use all of these activities, but use what you feel best suits your kids and which best suit you.

1. Ripping Bucket:

Simply grab a bucket, put in various pieces of paper (newspaper, construction paper, magazines, tissue paper, junk mail, etc…), and let your kids enjoy the fun of ripping, tearing, and shredding.

This is a great sensory activity and it’s just flat out fun! You could even turn that torn paper into a craft as well.

If you don’t want to keep or re-use the shredded paper, you can create a clean-up game to minimize the mess left behind. For example, the ripped paper can be crumbled into balls and tossed into the trashcan; similar to the newspaper toss activity.

Find more tips on dealing with toddler jealousy.

2. Book Box:

Create a special box with special books that are only taken out during your time with baby or feeding time. Here are some great recommendations for hands-on books.

You could even turn up the awesomeness of this activity and make it into a books-in-a-box reading adventure.

If possible, work in a read-aloud at the same time or expand this activity to include audio books as well. Here is a list of 15 awesome audio books for various ages.

3. Building Bin:

This would be a special bin filled with various blocks and building items (Legos, ABC blocks, wooden blocks, etc…).

Building is such a great hands-on activity for kids and it helps develop their imagination and concentration while keeping their hands busy.

They could build a tower, practice spelling their name, or make a crazy castle. Here are 44 block activities you could incorporate into your kiddos’ building bin.

4. Activity Tub:

Fill this tub will special quiet time activities, games, and toys. The tub could be themed (i.e. transportation, alphabet, art, etc…) or just contain some of your kids’ favorite items.

Here are some activities and toys I find very useful for free play: (some of these links are affiliate links that will help support Hands On As We Grow at no additional charge to you)

• dolls
• cars
• take-a-part toys
• stuffed animals
• Color Wonder drawing paper
• coloring book with crayons
• a flashlight with binoculars for exploring
• tracing pages in a sheet protector
• independent games like the Simon Electronic Memory Game
• an old camera or cell phone for pretend play
• a kids toolbox
• a deck of cards
• learn-to-draw book

5. Puzzle Pail:

Find a pail (or any container, really) and place various puzzles inside.

The difficulty and type of puzzles will vary depending on the age and puzzle skill level of your kids, but this self-guided puzzle trick can make any board tray puzzle an independent, learning activity.

Here’s an organization tip: I like to keep the puzzle pieces inside baggies instead of in the actual puzzle board to prevent them from falling out. I also instruct my kids to work on one puzzle at a time and clean-up that puzzle before moving on to the next.

To add in even more of a twist, you could incorporate a puzzle scavenger hunt as well.

6. Busy B’s Basket:

The Busy B’s are: busy Boxes, busy Bags, or busy Boards. The idea is to give your kiddos time to learn, play, and have fun being busy, while you are being busy yourself.

Prepare a Busy B as a busy box which provides pre-made activity tasks to complete, or a busy bag that contains learning activities like letter matching or sensory skills.

Or make a busy board that provides great fine motor practice and entertainment.

You could choose to just make one of these Busy B’s or make a few of each to put in a Busy B Basket.

I recommend choosing to prepare Busy B’s that have only a few components or are self-contained to help with clean-up and keeping track of the pieces.

7. Technology Tool-kit:

Kids need exposure to technology if only to learn how to use it responsibly in their world when required. Teaching our kids how to properly use and learn from technology is a great activity for them to take part in.

This technology tool-kit could contain an iPad with fun learning apps, a pretend remote to the television (that symbolizes that it’s showtime!) for some educational shows like Story Bots or Little Einsteins, and some fun learning DVD’s. It could even contain a small computer or learning tablet like the LeapFrog products.

That’s it!

It seems like a lot (especially when you’re parenting a newborn!), but with a session or two of gathering supplies, you can add little peace to your home.

Each of these catchy-phrased, container activity ideas will hopefully help to relieve the stress that comes with a new baby (even if it is stress for a joyful reason).

Most importantly, you’ll be able to give your older kids the hands-on activities that will keep them learning and having fun… even with a new baby in the house.

Which activity idea do you think will best keep your older kids occupied?